Beatles lunchboxes are on sale at the Cirque Boutique for the new Cirque du Soleil show opening Thursday at The Mirage. Photo by ISAAC BREKKEN/REVIEW-JOURNAL
A backstage mole at this week's "American Idol" finals tells me at least one producer was not happy that Taylor Hicks had won.
Hicks' off-screen personality rubbed some "Idol" execs the wrong way.
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Meantime, my spy says Andrea Bocelli was so smitten with runner-up Katharine McPhee's voice that he's made it known he wants to take her on his upcoming tour, if the "Idol" producers OK it.
And I hear Clay Aiken was not happy that he had to sing so long with Michael Sandecki, an overzealous Aiken impersonator who turned their duet into a geekfest.
'LOVE' AND HUMOR
Paul McCartney has discovered that legendary Beatles producer George Martin, 80, still has a wicked sense of humor.
During a meeting to go over music for the upcoming "Love" production with Cirque du Soleil, McCartney loved what he was hearing so much, he urged Martin to "take it further out."
The next time they met to consider the music, Martin played "Hey Jude" for McCartney, "which we started with a reggae (beat)."
"For a moment he was horrified," said Martin, before McCartney realized it was a joke.
Martin and his son Giles are music directors of "Love," which was previewed for the media Wednesday at The Mirage, where the show opens next month.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Kevin Kelley resigned as president of the Hard Rock Hotel on Wednesday, so frustrated, I hear, that he walked away from a major bonus. When I last ran into him about 10 days ago, he was talking about staying until the hand-over late this year to Morgans Hotel Group, the new owners. ...
Face it, being young and beautiful has its perks in Las Vegas. About 100 young models got last-minute calls Monday to show up at Mandalay Bay's wave pool for a Kenny Chesney show that was being telecast during a cut-in for the CBS telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Sources tell me organizers didn't feel they had enough beautiful people, so they put in a call to local talent agencies for 100 extras. They received $175 each and got a one-hour Chesney concert for showing up. ...
Sporting News Radio's Tony Bruno Show is broadcasting out of the Mandalay Bay race and sports book today and Friday. Bruno's lineup today (KSFN-AM 1140) includes Marc Ratner (6:30 a.m.), Mayor Oscar Goodman (8:05 a.m.), and John Avello (9:05 a.m.). Friday: yours truly (8:30 a.m.) and Lon Kruger (9:05 a.m.)...
Get back Loretta: A mind-blowing 6,300 speakers make up the sound system for "Love," the Beatles-Cirque production.
Excalibur headliner Louie Anderson is taking a month off from June 15 to July 14 for some minor gastrointestinal surgery upon the advice of his doctor, it was announced Thursday.
MAY I RECOMMEND ...
Ahoy, Yellow Submarine fans. Your ship has come in. Cirque Boutique, the Beatles gift shop at The Mirage, is open and offering the first batch of Beatles merchandise. Previews of Cirque's Beatles-inspired show "Love" open next week, with the premiere on June 30.
SIGHTINGS
Gene Simmons of KISS, being swarmed by members of Tiny KISS, a little people tribute group, during his reality show shoot Thursday at the Hard Rock pool cabanas.
THE PUNCH LINE
"Wayne Gretzky's wife handles all your betting." -- David Letterman's Top Ten perks of being inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
